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Scottish Workshop Explores Ways To Optimise Treatment Strategies for Sea Lice in Farmed Salmon
GLOBAL - Forty aquaculture industry professionals gathered here recently to discuss treatment of sea lice, a costly parasite to fish farms. The meeting focused on treatment through the use medicated feed, with emphasis on optimization of treatment practices and novel developments.
Organised by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation's Aquaculture Business Unit, the event attracted veterinarians, health managers and biologists from salmon farms throughout Scotland. Representatives from major feed companies, including Skretting, Ewos and Biomar, as well as academics and independent consulting veterinarians from Scotland, Ireland and Norway, also attended to provide additional perspective on managing the disease.
Tony Wall, director, Fish Vet Group, Scotland; Dr. Solveig Gaas?, veterinarian, Marine Harvest, Norway; and Hamish Rodger, practice principal, Vet Aqua International, Ireland - presented their field experiences with sea lice and the challenges of effective control programmes, including appetite issues in relation to optimum dosing.
Dr. Gordon Ritchie, fish health technical manager of the Marine Harvest's Technical Centre, in Stavanger, Norway, discussed the variability in medicated feed intake and the company's global experience in optimizing medicated feeding practices.
Crawford Revie, quantitative epidemiologist at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, introduced the concept of mathematical modeling as a pragmatic tool in treatment strategies.
Dr. Jon Erik Juell, Head of Research Group, Fish Welfare in Aquatic Production, Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, presented some of the concepts developed on fish behaviour and how these may impact in-feed treatments such as response to stimuli.
The speakers and participants then split into teams to develop and present practical approaches to optimising the success of in-feed treatments and further enhancing the welfare and performance of farmed fish affected by sea lice.
"It was a very timely and useful meeting," commented Tony Wall. " The range of competencies from various countries and areas of expertise ensured all avenues of in-feed medication were explored. From a personal point of view, the extensive discussions should be very beneficial in further ensuring safe and efficacious use of in-feed medicines with regards to the fish the consumer and the environment."
For more information about sea lice and effective control options, go to www.spaquaculture.com or contact John Mchenery at 44 (0) 7879 433629 Schering-Plough Animal Health, UK.
Source: Schering-Plough Animal Health - 23rd February 2006
